Gay Rights Groups Going Easy on Kerry

[rodbarnett]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Prominent gay rights groups are ready to issue an election-year pass to Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry even though he opposes same-sex marriage, settling for less than they want in hopes of avoiding a constitutional amendment they fear.

"It's always disappointing when we find elected officials or candidates who do not support us 100 percent," said Winnie Stachelberg, political director of the Human Rights Campaign.

"But we understand that people are on a journey of becoming more understanding and more supportive of all that affects the gay and lesbian community."

Democrats have aggressively courted gay voters and their campaign donations in recent years. Exit polls showed Al Gore got 75 percent of the votes cast by self-identified gays and lesbians in 2000, compared to 25 percent for Bush.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040225/D80UFSO00.html

[damnyankee2601]

1. I don't see how they have a choice.

Would they rather have the First Church of Shrub?

[rodbarnett]

4. fellow member nu_duer said this........

I'm finding myself uncomfortably comfortable with our frontrunner, but I have to wonder - have we now given up our right, our duty, to point to crimes against humanity and express outrage and demand justice?

What happened to the outrage?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=394616&mesg_id=394616


it could not have been said any clearer. what do we do????? settle or fight for what is best??

[blm]

12. It's called "Living to fight another day."

You either play it the SMART way or the way to certain doom.

You want to abandon the first Senator to write and promote gay-friendly legislation?

You want to abandon the Senator who advocated for gays to serve openly in the military?

You want to abandon the Senator who helped draft the Hate Crimes bill?

You want to abandon the Senator who called DOMA "gaybashing in the Senate" and voted against it?

Kerry is one of the greatest advocates the gay community has ever had who actually LEGISLATED for them. Abandon him this year and see what happens for the next decade. Go ahead.

Rove to Dems - You've been punk'd!

[Caution]

2. Don't blame them

I support Kerry though I disagree with his stance on gay marriage (i am fully behind allowing gay marriage), it sucks that sometimes even your own candidate isn't exactly what you want on all issues but the only person who fits that bill for me is me. Me for President!

[NNN0LHI]

3. Amazing what self preservation will do to people

I too have lowered my expectations on a wide range of other issues that are important to me and my family.

Don

[arwalden]

6. It A Little Thing I Like To Call It "Choosing My Battles (Wisely)"

and not being a one-issue voter. I can't afford the luxury of being idealistic.

Self-preservation is absolutely correct. I'm right there with you, Don.

-- Allen

[sangh0]

5. What a biased article!

The language is even more biased than usual. "Going easy" on Kerry? It couldn't be that they actually support Kerry, the way many gay DUers seem to support Kerry and his position on a Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

Nah!! They are "going easy" on him (IOW, gay right groups are a bunch of hypocritical liberals)

"settling for less than they want"??? Since when has getting Kerry personal approval of gay marriages been a goal of gay rights groups? I though they were concerned with the law.

It's not until the 6th paragraph that they point out:

"Matt Foreman, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said he has heard little or no complaining from gay rights supporters about attempts by Kerry or Edwards to finesse the same-sex marriage issue."

Gays support Kerry's position so that means that gay rights group are "going easy" on him

[La Lioness Priyanka]

7. maybe they remember 1996

and how he stood up again DOMA

[Kikosexy2]

8. Go with this platform on Gay marriage...

I support gay marriages... but not to ruffle any feathers, Kerry should say "I oppose gay marriages but support
civil unions and laws thereof
and I oppose any constitutional amendments that discriminates against any race, group, etc. Gay marriage
should be left up to each state to decide not the government". This way he's not blatantly opposing
gay marriages like Bush but willing to compromise. What's the feedback?

[sangh0]

9. That's pretty close to what Kerry is saying

“I believe President Bush is wrong. All Americans should be concerned

when a President who is in political trouble tries to tamper with the

Constitution of the United States at the start of his reelection

campaign.

“This President can’t talk about jobs. He can’t talk about health

care. He can’t talk about a foreign policy, which has driven away

allies and weakened the United States, so he is looking for a wedge

issue to divide the American people.

“While I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, for 200 years,

this has been a state issue. I oppose this election year effort to

amend the Constitution in an area that each state can adequately

address, and I will vote against such an amendment if it comes to the

Senate floor.

“I believe the best way to protect gays and lesbians is through civil

unions. I believe the issue of marriage should be left to the states,

and that the President of the United States should be addressing the

central challenges where he has failed – jobs, health care, and our

leadership in the world rather than once again seeking to drive a

wedge by toying with the United States Constitution for political

purposes.”


http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0224b.html

[Dogmudgeon]

10. This isn't a bad strategy

First of all, he's "our guy", and he will be much more responsive to our concerns than will Bush, who is responsive to himself and his friends and no one else at all.

Second, yeah, it's a choose-your-battles thing. Getting civil unions is the key goal; getting marriage is symbolic. It's important, but the legal rights come with the civil unions, so many activists have chosen to focus on that instead.

But if the time has come for prejudice-free marriage, then so be it!

It's not a lesser-of-two-evils choice. Long-term strategies always involve short-term compromises. As long as the focus is kept on the goal, that should be no problem.

Of course, too many of "our guys" have lost sight of those goals, but that's what WE are here for, to remind them, right?

--bkl

[Paschall]

11. As I posted in another thread...

...the Human Rights Campaign has given Kerry a 100 percent perfect Congressional scorecard on gay rights issues for the past four Congresses. His average score since the 101st Congress is 96 percent; he's only veered from the positions supported by the HRC on three occassions over the years. They call his record on gay rights "stellar."

This article's language is absurd. Gay rights groups aren't "going easy" on Kerry. He is an experienced ally to gays who has shown considerable leadership on gay rights issues, including authoring the Senate version of the Civil Rights Amendments Act of 1985, "a comprehensive gay civil rights bill that would have covered discrimination in employment, housing and credit."

http://www.hrc.org/Content/NavigationMenu/HRC/Get_Informed/Campaigns_and_Elections/Presidential_Candidates/2004_Candidates.htm

http://www.hrc.org/Template.cfm?Section=Presidential_Candidates&CONTENTID=12883&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm

[meg]

13. Winnie does not speak for everyone

I'll wager she doesn't even speak for all HRC members. She CERTAINLY DOES NOT speak for me!